and shared in his labor and means for its advancement. His only recreation he found in his library, a unique collection numbering over seven thousand volumes, including many rare editions. A man of less mental and physical strength would have fallen years before under the many tasks and burdens that without a thought of self were self-imposed by James Scammon; as it was, even his iron constitution bent and finally broke under the strain. Four years ago he Four years ago he suffered a stroke of paralysis from which he never finally recovered; always hopeful and unwilling to recognize the inevitable, he never allowed his industry or interest in his many affairs to weaken even after his affliction; yet those who were associated with him could see the burden grow day by day too heavy for him to carry. Something more than year ago he suffered a second attack of paralysis which has now brought him to the end. a Mr. Scammon never sought or held office; indeed, during all his maturer years, the legal interests in his care made it hardly possible or desirable, though had he turned his great energy and ability to the channel of public and official life he might well have won national distinction. But had he chosen these fields his memory could not have been held in greater esteem than it is now within that narrower but higher circle in which his strong and energetic character found expression. He enjoyed to the full measure that high respect which great ability coupled with unceasing industry, integrity, and a kindly regard for the welfare of every human being always brings wherever it is found. Worn out by the burdens which he voluntarily assumed, he died "while the shadows still were falling towards the West," but the work he accomplished was far greater in volume and moment than is that of most of those who stay the full span of life. NIGHTFALL. By Moses Gage Shirley. The new moon with her silver bow Within the distance faintly heard A light wind rustles through the woods Enfold the peaceful scene. THE HARD CASE OF THE FOUNDER OF OLD HAMPTON. WRONGS OF REV. STEPHEN BACHILER. Read by his descendant, F. B. Sanborn, of Concord, Mass., at the reunion of the Bachelder family, Seabrook, N. H., August 9, 1900. [The immediate occasion of the following address was a desire to make available to the people of the five towns originally founded by Rev. Stephen Bachiler,-Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Seabrook, and Kensington, all once included in his original colony,-the facts of his life before his foes brought his name into scandal. Few persons are aware of them, and the recent historian of Hampton Falls, Mr. Warren Brown (my cousin), was misled by inadequate papers in his possession to revive the scandal in a manner very disagreeable to the many descendants of Mr. Bachiler. With this exception, however, and certain errors almost inseparable from a work so comprehensive as a town history being also excepted, Mr. Brown's history (printed by the John B. Clarke Company, Manchester) is a very useful and commendable volume. It contains much of the material of history, in the form of old records, antiquated documents, etc., and it gives a very satisfactory topography of the town in the account of the homesteads from one side of the boundaries to the other. Much more might have been written to elucidate some of the matters touched upon, but that would have required another volume,-and this one runs to 640 pages. The long list of marriages contains several interesting entries. When Massachusetts lovers were married in Hampton Falls (1725-'28), they got a license from Lieut. Gov. John Wentworth; two of these were Emersons-Daniel of Cambridge in 1726, and Stephen of Ipswich in 1728. Daniel Webster's grandfather, Ebenezer, was married to Susanna Bachelder, great-great-granddaughter of Rev. Stephen, at Hampton Falls in 1738; Dr. John Goddard of Portsmouth was married to Mary Langdon by her father, Rev. Dr. Langdon, at Hampton Falls in 1791; and Rev. Dr. Thayer of Lancaster, Mass., to Sarah Toppan (parents of the wealthy Thayers of Boston) by Dr. Langdon in 1795. "His Excellency, John Taylor Gilman, and Mrs. Charlotte Hamilton, both of Exeter," were married in Hampton Falls by Parson Abbot, Dec. 29, 1814. Mr. Brown adds a few facts to what was otherwise known of the insurrection headed by Edward Gove in 1683, and prints at much length the documents relating to Meshech Weare and Rev. Paine Wingate in the long dispute of 1762-1776 over ministers and meeting-houses in Hampton Falls.-F. B. S.] HE old Romans had a To benefit mankind and get a bad name for it is a Ruler's privilege." And the good Bishop Fénélon notified his princely pupil, the Dauphin of France, to the same effect, thus: "Should it be your fortune to rule over men, you must love them for the love of God, without expecting to please them; nay, sacrifice yourself to benefit them, but be well assured that they will speak ill of whoever governs them with moderation and kindness." xxix-15 Seldom has a better illustration of this unhandsome trait of human nature been seen than in the case of our ancestor, the venerable and maligned Founder of this and the neighbor-towns of Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, and Kensington,-Stephen Bachiler of English Hampshire, who was one of the most learned and distinguished planters of New Hampshire,-yet not allowed to lay his aged bones here, any more than was the patriarch Moses permitted to be buried in Canaan. Stephen Bachiler was a boy of four when Shakespeare was born at Stratford, and he outlived the poet by forty-three years, dying at Hackney, now a part of London, in 1660, in his hundredth year. He belonged to a social class much above Shakespeare's in the fanciful scale of English rank,—of a mercantile family, perhaps, but turning to scholarship, educated at Oxford in St. John's college, of which his persecutor, Archbishop Laud, was afterwards graduate and Head, and in 1587, when Shakespeare was beginning to write plays, after acting plays for some years, Mr. Bachiler was settled as vicar of the small parish of Wherwell ("Horrell") on the "troutful Test" river in Hampshire,-his patron being a powerful nobleman, Lord Delaware, from whom our American state and river take their name. Bachiler remained there, in pleasant surroundings, for sixteen. years, and there his children were mostly born, his son Stephen having entered at Oxford in 1610, and another son, Samuel, having been a chaplain in Sir Charles Morgan's English regiment in Holland so early (1620) that he must have been born before 1605. In that year, the wretched James, son of the infamous Mary of Scotland, having come to the throne, and renewing the persecutions by the bishops, which had been for a time suspended, Mr. Bachiler was ejected from his vicarage, and became one among hundreds of wandering ministers, who from 1604 onward were harassed for their opinions, and often severely punished. He was sometimes in England, sometimes perhaps in Holland, where his religion was tolerated; sometimes he preached, and from 1622 to 1630 owned land and probably resided at Newton Stacey, a hamlet near Wherwell. In 1630 he joined with a company of husbandmen and merchants, who had obtained a patent for a tract of many square miles in Maine, and he put in a sum of money, large for those times, to aid its colonization. His kinsman, Richard Dummer, was also interested in this "Plough Patent," which ran in the name of John Dye, John Roach, Grace Hardwin, and Thomas Jupe. Mr. Bachiler was to be their minister, when they should once be settled near Portland (then called Casco); and how he was regarded by his associates in this venture will appear by their letter of March 8, 1631-2, preserved among the Winthrop Papers. They said, "First let us not forget to remember you of your and our duty,-that we return humble and hearty thanks unto Almighty God, that hath filled the heart of our reverend pastor so full of zeal, of love and extraordinary affection towards our poor Society. Notwithstanding all the opposition, all the subtle persuasions of abundance of opposers that have been stirred up against us, yet he remaineth constant,-persuading and exhorting,-yea, and as much as join together with this Society. And seeing in him lieth, constraining all that love him to the Company is not able to bear his charges over, he hath strained himself to provide provision for himself and his family; and hath done his utmost endeavor to help over as many as he possibly can, for your further strength and encouragement. And although it may be, if he had stayed one year longer, you might have been better provided to have received him, yet through his great care of all your good, he will by no means stay longer from you. O let us never forget this unspeakable mercy of God towards us! We hope the Lord will make him an especial instrument to unite you all in true love to God and unto one another, which will be our strongest walls and bulwarks of defense against all our enemies. And we hope you will not forget to show your love unto him, and to take notice of the charges he is now at, and to appoint for him or his, as he shall desire, such shares or parts of shares as shall belong unto him for the charges; and |
